Holder for threads or the like



1961 D M. BATES 3,009,611

HOLDER FOR THREADS OR THE LIKE Filed Nov. 26, 1958 INVENTOR Diane M 50765 ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,009,611 HOLDER FOR THREADS OR THE LIKE Diane M. Bates, 3147 Valley View Lane, San Antonio 9, Tex. Filed Nov. 26, 1958, Ser. No. 776,537 2 Claims. (Cl. 223-106) The present invention relates to a holder for threads or the like, and has for an object to provide a device of this kind capable of holding a spool of thread, or balls or skeins of thread or yarn.

The present invention also has for an object the provision of a device of this character in which the thread or other material, while being protected against soilage and tangling can be quickly and easily withdrawn in desired lengths and which also provides means for severing the dispensed material at the desired point.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a holder of this kind which is provided with means for locking the free end portion of the thread or other material against inadvertent return to the interior of the holder. A still further object of the present invention is to provide a holder of this character which comprises a hollow spindle for supporting the spool of thread and for providing storage space for a supply of needles.

The present invention contemplates the provision of a device of this character in which the needles are removably held in the storage space of the spindle by means of a removable thimble-like cap.

A further aim of the present invention is to provide a wound material holder which is capable of being positioned upon the spool-supporting spindle of a sewing machine or the like.

' With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the holder constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of FIGURE 2;

- FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary-bottom perspective view of the holder illustratedas'being used in its capacity as a'thimble; I

FIGURE '5 is an end elevational view of the holder; FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of a conventional sewing machine with the holder mounted on the spool-supporting-spindle thereof; and

' FIGURE 7 is an enlarged fragmentary bottom perspective view of the-cover and the cutter.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 10 generally indicates a holder constructed in accordance with the present invention which comprises a container 11 which may be of any shape in cross section but in the illustration is shown as circular in cross section, being provided with a bottom 12 and a side wall 13 extending upwardly from the bottom at substantially right angles thereto. A hollow spindle 14 extends upwardly from the central portion of the bottom 12 with which it may be formed integrally or secured thereto in any suitable manner.

The central portion of the bottom 12 is raised above the plane of the bottom 12, as indicated at 15, to pro vide a recess 16. The raised portion 15 of the bottom 12 has a through opening 17 therethrough which communicates with the hollow interior of the spindle 14 and the recess 16 of the raised portion 15 of the bottom. The upper end of the hollow spindle 14 is left open, as

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indicated at 18, to allow the holder to rotate freely on spindle of device and for use with any length needle and the lower end of the spindle 14 is closed by a thimble-like cap 19.

The cap 19 comprises an annular flange 20 and a centrally located hollow boss 21 closed at its inner end by a bottom 22, and open at its outer end. The hollow boss 21 serves as a thimble for receiving the blunt end portion of a sewing needle 23, as illustrated in FIGURE 4 of the drawings. The outer face of the bottom 22 of the cap 19 is roughened or knurled, as indicated at 24 in FIGURE 5 of the drawings, to provide a better purchase for the blunt end of the needle 23 when the cap is being used as a thimble. The inner portion 22 is recessed to receive a cork 22a with which the lower ends of the needles 23 engage.

When the cap 19 is inserted into the lower end portion of the hollow spindle 14 there is provided a storage space 25 for the reception of a plurality of needles 23. When the cap 19 is inserted into the hollow spindle 14, the flange 20 is received by the recess 16 of the bottom 12 of the container 11 and abuts the outer face of the raised portion 15 of the bottom 12 to limit the distance to which the cap may be inserted into the hollow spindle and to restrain the cap from further movement into the hollow spindle when the cap is being used as a thimble.

The upper end of the container 11 is open and is closed by a removable cover or lid 26 having a conventional snapon fit with the outer surface of the upper end portion of the wall 13 of the container 11 by means of the depending annular skirt or flange 27. The cover 26 is provided with a radially outward offset aperture 28 for receiving therethrough the free end portion 29 of a material 30 such as thread or the like wound upon a spool 31, carried by the spindle 14 within the holder 10.

A thread locking device in the form of a knob 32 is formed on the upper central portion of the cover 26 and has its longitudinally center portion oflesser diameter than its upper and lower end portions to provide a groove 33 for the reception of one turn of the free end portion 29 of the thread 30.

A cutter is provided on the cover 26 by slitting the skirt 27, as indicated at 34 in FIGURE 1 of the drawings. The inner portion of the lower edge of each of the walls defining the slit 34 are honed to provide a cutting edge 34a while the outer portion of the lower edge of each wall is left smooth so that the wound material or the hands of the user cannot he accidentally cut. The cutter 34 is located at a point on the cover 26 which is substantially diametrically opposite to the aperture 28 to prevent the thread from coming into contact with the cutter while being used on a sewing machine or any spindle device.

In the use of the device, the spool 31 is placed upon the spindle 14 with the head 35 of the spool which contains the conventional notch 36 for retaining the free end portion of the wound material previous to the spool being used facing downwardly at the lower end of the container 11. The spool is so positioned within the container that the notch 36 will not catch the free end portion 29 of the thread during the unwinding of the thread from the spool. The outside diameter of the spindle 14 is less than the diameter of the passageway 31a through the spool 31 so that the head 35 of the spool rests freely upon the inner face of the bottom 12 of the container 11 and the spool can rotate freely upon the spindle 14 without creating any friction therebetween.

The free end portion 29 of the thread 30 will then be threaded through the aperture 28 of the cover 26 and the cover will then be placed upon the upper open end of the contatiner 11 and snapped into its closed position.

The free end portion 29 of the thread will be pulled toward the locking knob 32 and when the desired length of thread has been withdrawn from the container, the free end portion 29 of the thread will be twisted once or twice around the knob 32 and received by the groove 33 so that the thread will be held against accidental return to the interior of the container 11. The free end portion of the thread will now be pulled downwardly through the slit 34 and brought into engagement with either of the honed cutting edges 34a of the walls of the slit for severing the thread at the desired point.

The severed portion of the thread will now be inserted through the eye of the needle and if it is desired to use the cap 19 as a thimble, the holder will be turned to the position shown in FIGURE 4 of the drawings and the blunt end portion of the needle 23 is inserted into the hollow boss 21 of the cap 19, and the bottom 22 of the cap will be pressed against the blunt end of the needle with a force necessary to cause the needle to move through the material being sewed.

If it is desired to use the holder on a sewing machine, the cap 19 and the needles 23 will be removed from the hollow spindle 14 and the hollow spindle 14 will be placed over the conventional spindle of a conventional sewing machine 37, as illustrated in FIGURE 6 of the drawings.

For use with spools containing a light weight or gauge thread, the holder 10 and the cover 26 may be made of a clear view plastic so that the trade name, quantity of thread remaining on the spool and the color and size of the thread may be visible at all times. When the container is intended for use with heavier gauge thread or wire, the container 11 may be made from clear view plastic or other suitable material and the cover 26 will be made of aluminum, stainless steel or other metal, so that the cutter will have surlicient strength and rigidity for cutting this type of heavier gauge material.

The device is adapted for use with threads, ropes, string, wire, cloth products and surgical threads of all sizes.

The manufacturers of threads, wires and the like, can place the completed spool of thread, wire, etc., Within the container 11 at the point of manufacture and then place the cover 26 in its closed position so that the wound material will be kept clean and untangled until it reaches the ultimate consumer. It will be noted in this connection that the means for permitting the withdrawal of the thread from the container and the cutting means are all disposed within the confines of the container and its cover so that a plurality of the holders 10 can be stored or arranged for shipping in a compact, space-saving arrangement. It will also be noted that this device provides in one compact unit a storage and dispensing space for the thread, and a cutter therefor, and a storage space for needles and a thirnble as well as a thread lock for preventing the inadvertent return of the thread to the interior of the container so that the device is very convenient for both travel and for use at home.

Another advantage to be gained by packaging the thread within the holder at the point of manufacture is that the proper size needles for the weight of thread can also be enclosed in the storage space 25 so that all guess work on the part of the user regarding the proper size needle to be used is eliminated.

The fact that the inner end 18 of the spindle is left open allows more axial space to accommodate needles of different lengths and for spindle tubes of sewing machines having difierent lengths so that long spindle tubes can extend entirely through and beyond the open end 18 of the spindle 14 to permit spool to rest securely on the sewing machine. The cover 26 will serve as a protection for cover for the open spindle and the needles therein. Morover, the needles will penetrate into the cork 22 and thus be held in upright position within the space 25.

For use with needles and spindle tubes of predetermined lengths, the spindles 14 can be made of corresponding lengths so that the open end 18 of the spindle can be closed.

Although I have disclosed herein the best form of the invention known to me at this time, I reserve the right to all such modifications and changes as may come within the scope of the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. A holder for a spool and thread or the like comprising a receptacle having an inwardly concave bottom wall, a tube within the receptacle rising from said bottom wall and open at both ends adapted to fit into the axial opening of the spool, said tube being capable of telescoping onto the spool-spindle of a sewing-machine, and a removable cap member having a flange disposable in the cavity beneath and in abutment against said bottom wall, said cap having a boss extending from said flange into and closing the bore of said tube at the lower end so that the tube may be used as a needleholder, and said cap having a recess open at its bottom surface to enable use of the receptacle in simulation of a thimble.

2. A holder according to claim 1 wherein the receptacle has a removable cover provided with a downwardly extending marginal attaching flange, said cover having a thread outlet opening therethrough, said attaching flange at a portion thereof forming a thread cutting edge, and a thread locking member on said cover.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

